As of last night, there are now *7* pastors, former pastors and seminarians who've become Democratic nominees running for Congress. Some have already won safe Dem seats, and several are in hotly contested races. In multiple cases, the GOP has attacked their faith. religionnews.com/2026/08/04/p...

'They're not real pastors': As clergy run as Democrats, Republicans question their faith

(RNS) — 'It's a sign that they are really scared they're gonna lose this seat,' the Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran pastor running for Congress in Iowa, said. She is part of a wave of religious ...

religionnews.com

“None of us wanted to be here announcing a lawsuit,” said Aslam Syed, a leader with the mosque. “We wanted to build a place of worship for community members who already lived and contributed to the fabric of Broken Arrow.” Story w/ @bmietana.bsky.social religionnews.com/2026/08/03/b...

Broken Arrow mosque leaders sue over alleged discrimination

(RNS) — 'They did not want Muslims here, so they made up a reason, and in doing so, they violated the law,' said Meghan Murphy, an attorney with CAIR's Legal Defense Fund.

religionnews.com

Mosque leaders are suing the City of Broken Arrow in Oklahoma over alleged religious discrimination

(RNS) — Some see the facilities’ construction as a sign of the apocalypse, while others see it as an opportunity to advocate for environmental stewardship.

‘A deal with the devil’: Religion motivates data center opponents in Texas

(RNS) — Some see the facilities’ construction as a sign of the apocalypse, while others see it as an opportunity to advocate for environmental stewardship.

religionnews.com

“I am a peacemaker,” Tawil said in a 1997 Gazette article. “I don’t like problems. I am stubborn about my principles. But I want everyone to live in peace and harmony.” www.thegazette.com/news/local/l...

Longtime Cedar Rapids imam and Islamic scholar dies

Taha Tawil came to Cedar Rapids in 1983 to serve as imam for the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. He also was one of the cofounders of the Cedar Rapids Interfaith Alliance.

thegazette.com

NEWS: The DOJ is investigating the City of Broken Arrow’s zoning and land use laws, including the denial of a mosque proposal. The city in OK denied a rezoning request for a proposed mosque after weeks of anti-Muslim pushback in Jan. DOJ letter and my @rns.org story from Jan. in comments.

Among the details in @fiona-ndre.bsky.social’s reporting on a NYC church that has dedicated itself to advocating for immigrants: a church member has developed “‘Dignity Toolkit,’ a mobile encrypted app that safely connects immigrant families and volunteers.” religionnews.com/2026/07/21/g...

Inside a Brooklyn church where immigration activism is the gospel

(RNS) — From encrypted apps to legal clinics: How an immigrant-majority church is responding to protect its congregation.

religionnews.com

religionnews.com/2026/07/16/p...

Proposed Muslim cemetery splits Southern California residents

(RNS) — Supporters of the Crescent Gardens Cemetery, a dedicated Muslim burial site, say they need the graves. But some residents cite concerns about groundwater contamination.

religionnews.com

American Jews woke up to a stark new reality Wednesday: Decades of unequivocal support for Israel is no longer a key plank of the Democratic Party. (Via @yonat.bsky.social) religionnews.com/2026/07/16/a...

American Jews face a Democratic Party rethinking unconditional Israel support

(RNS) — A growing number of Democrats, and a growing number of American Jews, no longer want the U.S. to issue Israel a blank check.

religionnews.com

A man walked up to a Muslim mall employee in Utah, talked with him briefly, then stabbed him repeatedly on Monday. The 48-year-old suspect told police he targeted the victim because of his religion and said he “intends to kill Muslims,” police records say.

“The hate crime is so abhorrent because it does not only affect the victim. It affects the whole Muslim community,” said Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan, Utah.

Ulaa Kuziez@ulaakuzi.bsky.social · 3w ago

A man walked up to a Muslim mall employee in Utah, talked with him briefly, then stabbed him repeatedly on Monday. The 48-year-old suspect told police he targeted the victim because of his religion and said he “intends to kill Muslims,” police records say. religionnews.com/2026/07/15/m...

A man walked up to a Muslim mall employee in Utah, talked with him briefly, then stabbed him repeatedly on Monday. The 48-year-old suspect told police he targeted the victim because of his religion and said he “intends to kill Muslims,” police records say. religionnews.com/2026/07/15/m...

After mall stabbing, Utah faith leaders warn against anti-Muslim rhetoric

(RNS) — The stabbing reflects growing concerns about anti-Muslim hate, said Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Center.

religionnews.com

INBOX: Florida officials pause designation of Muslim civil rights groups as “Terrorist Organizations” This comes amid a lawsuit from @aclu.org and others defending CAIR from this label.

What happened after Gov. Abbott labeled CAIR a terrorist group? My report from Texas explores how the GOP's push to cast suspicion on the civil rights group — and anyone who associates with it — is testing trust within Muslim communities. religionnews.com/2026/07/10/m...

Muslim advocacy group fights for trust after Texas brands it a terrorist group

AUSTIN, Texas (RNS) — A terrorist designation in Texas is fraying trust inside Muslim communities as mosque and nonprofit leaders decide whether standing by CAIR is worth the risk.

religionnews.com

AUSTIN, Texas (RNS) — A terrorist designation in Texas is fraying trust inside Muslim communities as mosque and nonprofit leaders decide whether standing by CAIR is worth the risk. religionnews.com/2026/07/10/m...

NEW from @fiona-murphy.bsky.social at @rns.org: A powerful mini-doc on the Luhmanns, a conservative Christian family that has been pushing back against ICE/DHS in the Chicago area for months. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXsn...

Christian mother of eight tracks ICE activity in Chicago

YouTube video by RNS

youtube.com

Far-right Islamophobe Aaron Reitz is expected to be named US attorney for the Southern District of Texas, which includes Houston. Reitz has called Islam "incompatible" with the West and as a recent candidate for Texas AG vowed to use "lawfare" to "destroy the left."

Reitz Slated to Be US Attorney in Texas’ Southern District (1)

Aaron Reitz, a former Trump administration official and top lawyer for the state of Texas, is set to be the next US attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Even before Kansas City was made an official host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lawrence city officials, the University of Kansas and other groups prepared to be a welcoming base camp. https://loom.ly/8JvqqSQ

Lawrence honed its Arabic, French and halal skills to be good World Cup host to Algeria

Even before Kansas City was made an official host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lawrence city officials, the University of Kansas and other groups prepared to be a welcoming base camp.

kcur.org

Algeria fans made a "Thank You Lawrence" banner for their last group game. Rock Chalk Algeria

I recently had the rare opportunity to speak with astronaut Victor Glover, the pilot of the Artemis II moon mission. Glover, a vocal Christian, said the mission has “definitely grown” his faith, but he struggles to find the right words — and he's okay with that. religionnews.com/2026/06/12/a...

Astronaut Victor Glover is still trying to find the spiritual words to describe his Moon mission

(RNS) — 'At the end of it, when we were just responding totally instinctually, we talked a lot about God,' Glover told RNS in a recent interview, referring to the Artemis II crew.

religionnews.com

At the “Don’t Sharia My Texas” luncheon at the Texas GOP convention, two Muslim lawmakers are being accused of implementing Sharia by…using the legislative process…. to propose non-binding resolutions… that recognize Ramadan or combat Islamophobia.

ICYMI: Yesterday, 119 Democrats denounced the Sharia Free America Caucus as a “hateful” group that discriminates against American Muslims. It’s the first time Dems officially respond to the caucus since two House Republicans launched it last year. The caucus now has 66 members.

119 Democrats today denounced the Sharia-Free America Caucus as a “hateful” group that discriminates against American Muslims. This marks the first time Dems officially respond to the caucus since its launch last year. READ MORE: religionnews.com/2026/06/08/c...

Congressional Democrats call GOP anti-Sharia caucus 'hateful'

(RNS) — The caucus targeting Sharia, or Islamic religious law, harkens back to anti-Muslim movements that flourished during the post-9/11 era and the early 2010s.

religionnews.com

INBOX: For the first time, Democrats formally condemn the Sharia-Free America Caucus. They say the caucus "reflects longstanding Islamophobic narratives and anti-Muslim sentiment rather than any demonstrated policy need."

ICYMI: Mo Sabri was the first Muslim country artist to perform at the Nashville Symphony yesterday. He spoke to the crowd about the significance of his identity as a Muslim and being able to perform on such a revered stage. He shared the same with me: www.tennessean.com/story/entert...

Mo Sabri, a Muslim artist, on redefining country in symphony concert

Mo Sabri, raised in Johnson City, started with a rap about Jesus from a Muslim's perspective. Now, he's performing country at the Nashville Symphony.

tennessean.com

Lanterns marked Revolutionary War’s start. Oldest Baptist church in U.S. Correspondence with George Washington. Rare pulpit. Read my @rns.org story about congregations older than the nation: religionnews.com/2026/05/28/t...

These houses of worship are older than America. How they outlasted wars, schisms and lawsuits.

(RNS) — Only about 1% of houses of worship in the U.S. today existed in 1776. Here are four that predate the revolution — and still hold services.

religionnews.com

Days after naming a Muslim woman as principal of a North Texas high school, conservative backlash prompted the district to reassign her. “Instead of drawing a firm line against harassment and intimidation, the district embraced it,” said Sabrina Ball, a Fort Worth ISD parent. tinyurl.com/mtv8utby

Muslim principal in Texas reassigned, investigated after right-wing backlash

(RNS) — Interfaith religious leaders and district parents say the Fort Worth Independent School District capitulated to a hateful online smear campaign against Shayma Alzubi.

religionnews.com

days into a hunger and labor strike of hundreds detained in GEO Group-run Delaney Hall, people inside report beatings, rotten food, crumbling facilities, and denied medical care. protesters and organizers outside are confronting ICE in the Newark street. talked to a few about it: @us.theguardian.com

‘We won’t stop until they’re free’: protesters outside a New Jersey ICE facility in their own words

Organizers rally outside Delaney Hall, facing violent clashes with agents, as over 300 detainees are on hunger strike

theguardian.com

The recent sentencing of a man in a planned attack against a Nashville mosque evokes a broader pattern of Islamophobic violence, most recently seen in a shooting at a San Diego mosque. From the prosecution and sentencing hearing: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Nashville man receives 24-month sentence in planned attack on mosque

The sentencing came two weeks before a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and local Muslim leaders commented on the connection between the two.

tennessean.com